It's okay to do it. Maybe feel a sense of shame for half an hour just to remind yourself, "This is not what I should have done," but not for the whole of your life. For goodness sake, please let it go.

And anyway, just because he did a stupid act, why did you do that? Sometimes you can't really judge yourself—why ? that's beyond certainty. So because of that, please, please let it go.

And if you really want to understand why, you got Angulimala. He was—he really was—a serial killer. There must be something about Buddhist meditators or serial killers. Okay, I don't know what crime you've done—probably hardly anything at all. But anyway, whatever it was, just don't do it again." That's all. Shame does not help.

Shame—you never feel good enough. You don't feel worth it. I know when people have addictions to drugs or to pornography or to alcohol, whatever that addiction is, they feel they're just hopeless, that they were just a defective human being, so they don't belong anywhere. And so they don't even think they should—you know—they deserve to be forgiven. But of course, everyone does.

And Angulimala killed so many human beings. He really was a murderer. When the Buddha saw him, the Buddha said, "Stop. Stop worrying about that past. Where'd it go? Stop living in the past. Stop worrying about the future. Stop. Be still." He became an enlightened being.

..I don't know what crimes you have done and you feel guilt and shame about that. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as Angulimala. And the Buddha allowed Angulimala to become a monk. He allowed him to— not allowed him—but Angulimala became an enlightened being. So there's no barriers for whoever said this, that he did a crime a few times years back. As years back, it's passed. Let it go.

----Ajahn Brahm

2023 July (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ5utyhWxq0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M62mCrCxOtuSIjQ5uznAU0x&index=5

做就做了，沒關係。也許感到半小時的羞愧，只為提醒自己：「這不是我該做的」，但不要困住一生。看在老天的份上，請放下吧。

再說，就算他做了蠢事，你為何要那樣？有時你真的無法評判自己——為何？那超出確定的範圍。正因如此，請你務必放下。

若你真想理解原因，看看央掘摩羅。他是——他確實曾是——一個連環殺手。這個佛教禪修者與連環殺手之間，有著某種關聯。他說：「你做了，你知道的。」我說：「好，我不知道你犯了什麼罪——大概根本沒什麼大不了。但無論如何，無論那是什麼，別再做就好。」就這樣。羞愧並無幫助。

羞愧——你永遠覺得不夠好。你感覺自己不值得。我知道，當人們對毒品、色情或酒精上癮，無論是什麼癮，他們只覺得絕望，覺得自己是缺陷品，所以無處歸屬。因此，他們甚至不認為自己該——你知道的——值得被原諒。但當然，每個人都值得。

而央掘摩羅殺了那麼多人。他確實是個兇手。當佛陀看見他時，佛陀說：「停。別再擔憂過去。過去去哪了？別再活在過去。別再擔憂未來。停。靜下來。」他成了一位覺者。

……我不知道你犯了什麼罪，為此感到內疚與羞愧。我確信那不會比央掘摩羅更糟。而佛陀允許央掘摩羅成為比丘。他允許他——不，不只是允許——央掘摩羅成了一位覺者。所以，對任何曾說「他幾年前犯過幾次罪」的人而言，都沒有障礙。既是多年前的事，就已經過去。放下吧。

----阿姜布拉姆

2023年7月 (5/19) | 9日禪修 | 阿姜布拉姆

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ5utyhWxq0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M62mCrCxOtuSIjQ5uznAU0x&index=5

<<後悔>>

我們每個人都做過蠢事、錯事， 對嗎？

誰說沒有？ 不要騙大家(笑)

由貪嗔癡所驅動的思想、說話與行為， 就是蠢事。

有時當一個人修行不斷提升的時候， 就會發現自己過去是多麼的愚蠢啊。

例如 Luang por thongpoon 修行到一定程度， 便發現這個身體是多麼的骯髒啊， 為什麼自己的心之前那麼蠢，會去執著這個身體呢？

如果一個人成為阿羅漢的話，雖然他過去做過蠢事， 但不會再後悔， 因為後悔也是屬於煩惱的一種

但不是我們。

每當我們想起過去的錯事 ，都會覺得很羞愧、很後悔。

當我們後悔的時候， 心好受嗎？

當然不好受。 所以當我們後悔的時候我們是愚蠢的

但我們還是不斷去想想想， 想過不停， 這就非常愚蠢了

其實不用後悔。

我們想的每個念頭、說的每句話、做的每件事， 其實都是由條件組合的。

不由我們去選擇。

就如 Ajahn suchart 所說，無論發生什麼事，無論什麼情況導致你去做事情，這都被認為是法(大自然)提供給你，讓你去做事情。這不是你自己的意志，不是你自己的願望，而是法、環境，是主動將事情帶給你的。

當我們遇到這系列的條件的時候， 我們就必定會這樣做。

假如任何人有齊您所有的條件的時候， 他們也必定會這樣想、這樣說、這樣做。

這是大自然的事， 不是任何人的事， 不是您的事。

這個世界只有因和果而已， “您” 並沒有牽涉在其中

所以不用後悔， 因為“您” 並不存在，所謂的“您”只是由條件組合而成而已

"Regret"

Each of us has done foolish things and made mistakes, right? Who says otherwise? Don’t fool us (laugh). Thoughts, words, and actions driven by greed, hatred, and delusion are foolishness.

Sometimes, as a person practices and improves, they realize just how foolish they were in the past.

For example, when Luang Por Thongpoon reached a certain level of practice, he discovered how dirty this body really is. Why was his heart so foolish before, clinging to this body?

If a person becomes an arahant, although they have done foolish things in the past, they will not regret it because regret is also a form of defilement. But that’s not us. Whenever we remember our past mistakes, we feel ashamed and regretful.

When we regret, does our mind feel good? Of course not. So when we regret, we are being foolish. Yet we keep thinking and thinking, endlessly thinking of  the past, and that is very foolish.

In fact, there’s no need to regret. Every thought we have, every word we speak, every action we take is actually a combination of conditions. We do not have the right to choose.

As Ajahn Suchart said, no matter what happens, or what circumstances lead you to act, it is considered the Dhamma (nature) providing you the conditions to act. It is not your own will or desire; it is the law and the environment that actively brings these things to you.

When we encounter these series of conditions, we must act accordingly. If anyone had all the same conditions as you, they would also think, say, and do the same.

This is a matter of nature, not of any individual, and it is not your matter. This world consists only of causes and effects; "you" are not involved in it.

Therefore, there is no need to regret because "you" do not exist; the so-called "you" is merely a combination of conditions. 

被隆波甘哈派遣來香港弘法的阿贊耀曾經被一位信徒問起

227條比丘戒那麼多，他花了多長時間學、掌握？

他大概說，很難回答，因為掌握戒律是不斷犯錯破戒，然後從中改過的過程

想必我們如果出家的話都會是如是，因為227條戒太多了

同樣地，人生那麼多遭遇、那麼長，我們每個人難免都曾犯過錯，傷害過自己、傷害過別人，這是很正常的事情

所以我們應當原諒自己。

從錯誤中學習，決意未來不要犯即可;不用一直回想過去、一直後悔

無論我們過去犯過的錯有多嚴重，只要不是五逆重罪（惡意讓佛陀出血、殺阿羅漢、殺父、殺母、分裂和合的僧團），還未玩完。

只要任何人從現在開始到死時對三寶有不壞的信心，有清淨的五戒；他就被佛陀記說為入流者，已經永遠脫離於惡道，未來肯定會抵達涅槃 （AN5.179）

Ajahn Yiu, who was sent to Hong Kong by Luang Por Ganha to propagate the Dhamma, was once asked by a follower: 

With 227 monastic precepts being so numerous, how long did it take him to learn and master them? 

He roughly replied that it was difficult to answer because mastering the precepts is a continuous process of making mistakes, breaking the rules, and then correcting oneself. 

Presumably, if we were to ordain, we would all experience the same, because 227 precepts are indeed too many. 

Similarly, life is filled with so many experiences and is so long that each of us inevitably makes mistakes, hurting ourselves or others. This is a very normal part of life. 

Therefore, we should forgive ourselves. 

We should learn from our mistakes and resolve not to repeat them in the future; there’s no need to constantly dwell on the past or regret it endlessly. 

No matter how serious the mistakes we have made in the past, as long as they are not the five heinous crimes (maliciously causing the Buddha to bleed, killing an Arahant, killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, or causing schism in a harmonious Sangha), it’s not the end. 

As long as anyone, from now until death, maintains unwavering faith in the Triple Gem and upholds the pure five precepts, the Buddha declared that person to be a stream-enterer, one who has permanently escaped the lower realms and will certainly attain nibanna in the future (AN5.179). 

"Nothing to Regret"

What if we've done something foolish in the past?
It doesn’t matter; the past is already gone. Why hold onto it and regret it?

Regret arises from wrong views, incorrect perceptions, and misguided thoughts.

So let's solve from the root.
The Buddha teaches us to view things this way: whether it’s the past, present, or future; all that constitutes our 'self' includes:

1. The physical body

2. feelings

3. perceptions

4. Will and volitions

5. Awareness

6. 
   

None of these actually belong to us; we are not them, and they do not constitute a real self—this is how we should perceive them (MN62).

If we think "it does not belong to me," we can stop regarding the so-called 'self' of the past as something we possesses, instantly lifting the burden.

"I am not this" is meant to counteract self-labeling and self-inflation. Once we adopt this mindset, we can no longer feel inferior because the past 'self' is no longer relevant to us.

"This is not a true self" is to combat the wrong view that mistakenly believes a 'self' truly exists.
Whether body or mind, they are constantly changing, uncontrollable, and cannot be maintained; there is fundamentally no unchanging self.

At this point, the mind immediately feels empty and relaxed; there is no more regret, right?

《沒有什麼好後悔》

如果在過去做了蠢事怎麼辦？

沒有怎麼辦，過去已經滅去了，還後悔抓著它來做什麼？

會後悔都是因為錯誤的見解，錯誤的認知，錯誤的思維

那就從根源著手

佛陀教導，應該這樣看，無論是過去，現在，未來；所有構成我們這個‘我’ 的

1. 物質身體

2. 感受

3. 認知記憶

4. 意志動機

5. 覺知

它們其實都不是屬於我們的，我們不是它們，它們不是一個實在的我---應該這樣去看待它們（MN62）

如果想‘它不是屬於我的’—就可以不再把過去的所謂‘自己’成為心的擁有物，立即沒了負擔

‘我不是這個’ –是為了對治自我標籤，自我膨脹。一旦這樣思維，就可以不再自卑了，因為過去的那個‘自己’已經不再和自己有關了

‘這不是一個實我’—這是為了對治錯誤的見解，誤以為真的有一個‘自我’存在。

無論是身還是心；他們不斷在轉變、無法掌控、不能被維持；根本就沒有一個不變的自我在。

這時心立即空起來了，輕鬆起來了；不再後悔了，對嗎？

🌸 **讓心保持清淨吧——** 

過去雖已無法更改， 

但今日、明日，只要勤修誦念禪定， 

惡業便會逐漸減輕。 

過往歲月裡， 

善惡交雜， 

來到今日，我們已明白何者為非， 

便不再重蹈覆轍； 

若能持續積累善行， 

惡業與罪愆自會日漸消褪。 

從前因無知而犯錯， 

人人皆曾有過失、有正行； 

一旦學習、覺悟了， 

便當修正自身—— 

善德終將成為我們的珍寶。 

🌸 **Keep the mind pure. Though the past has passed and cannot be changed, 

today and tomorrow, diligently recite prayers and meditate— 

bad kamma will gradually lighten.** 

In the past, 

both evil and good were mixed together. 

Now that we have reached today, we know what is unwholesome, 

so we do not do it again. 

If we continually create goodness, 

bad kamma and unwholesomeness 

will diminish on their own. 

Before, we did not know right from wrong, 

acting out of ignorance. 

Everyone makes mistakes, everyone does right. 

Once we have learned, 

we improve ourselves, 

and virtuous qualities become our own. 

🌸💧🌸💧🌸💧🌸 

Luang Phro Somkiat・Chitmāro 

（Wat Pa Tham Phra Thep Nimit, Udon Thani） 

March 5, 2025

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